Best N.E. Family Vacation

[omararcia]

I'm planning on spending New Years in the Northeast with my wife and 3 young kids. I'm looking for suggestions as to the ideal location possessing skiing (both for adults and kids), resort amenities and restaurants for this vacation. Also travelling with 2 other families who also have small children. Appreciate suggestions.

 

[kcyanks1]

I'm planning on spending New Years in the Northeast with my wife and 3 young kids. I'm looking for suggestions as to the ideal location possessing skiing (both for adults and kids), resort amenities and restaurants for this vacation. Also travelling with 2 other families who also have small children. Appreciate suggestions.

If you could answer a number of questions, it would be easier to recommend something:

(1) Where are you coming from and how long are you willing to travel (drive?)?
(2) What level of skiers are you?
(3) How old are your kids? Will they be in ski school?
(4) Do you want ski-on, ski-off lodging, or is it OK to have to drive to the mountain?
(5) Do you want amenities/restaurants to be accessible without a drive?

 

[Paul]

Without knowing much about levels/types of skiers/riders in your party...

1. Smuggler's Notch VT. All-inclusive. Everything is all in one resort, Expert level skiing to first-timers. Non-skiing entertainment, and places to eat. I've never actually been there, but I'm sure some of the others will chime-in. Ski-Quattro and Brettski have been a few times.

2. North Conway area, White Mtns, NH Choice of different Ski Area catering to different tastes. Wildcat, Cranmore, Attitash, Bretton Woods and Black Mtn. Good to very good restaurants nearby. Shopping for those so inclined. Driving will be mandatory, however. Not a bad drive (weather permitting) over the Kancamangus Hwy to Franconia Notch and the town of Lincoln. Loon, Waterville Valley and Cannon mtn. are over there.

Where are you coming from?

 

[omararcia]

If you could answer a number of questions, it would be easier to recommend something:

(1) Where are you coming from and how long are you willing to travel (drive?)?
(2) What level of skiers are you?
(3) How old are your kids? Will they be in ski school?
(4) Do you want ski-on, ski-off lodging, or is it OK to have to drive to the mountain?
(5) Do you want amenities/restaurants to be accessible without a drive?

(1) We are flying in from South Florida and then renting 2 cars/vans. We are willing to drive from airports to resorts and mountains.
(2) Most are beginner to average skiers.
(3) Kids are 12 and younger. Most will be in ski school, at least for one day.
(4) We are open to both ski-on, ski-off or driving to mountain, but ski-on would be great obviously.
(5) Since we will be driving anyway, we are willing to drive to restaurants if necessary.

Thanks

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Whiteface/Lake Placid is tuff to beat for what you describe. Check out this site, be sure to click What to Do and Where to Stay. There are a ton of options.
You will have to drive or take a shuttle to the mountain.

http://www.lakeplacid.com/

 

[kcyanks1]

(1) We are flying in from South Florida and then renting 2 cars/vans. We are willing to drive from airports to resorts and mountains.

If you are flying anyways, have you considered going out west? I defend eastern skiing to death and love it. But you are more likely to have good conditions out west, especially at new year's, and there are probably more areas there with convenient lodging, restaurants, and extras all on sight.

 

[kcyanks1]

(1) We are flying in from South Florida and then renting 2 cars/vans. We are willing to drive from airports to resorts and mountains.
(2) Most are beginner to average skiers.
(3) Kids are 12 and younger. Most will be in ski school, at least for one day.
(4) We are open to both ski-on, ski-off or driving to mountain, but ski-on would be great obviously.
(5) Since we will be driving anyway, we are willing to drive to restaurants if necessary.

Thanks

Smuggs, as suggested, is a good option (I have never been there either). Based on your ability levels, Okemo or Stratton could also be good options. Both should have lodging at the resorts. For Okemo at least you'll end up driving for restaurants; Stratton has some sort of village at the base, but I don't know how extensive it is. Both get less snow than northern VT areas, but they make a lot of snow, so you should have a decent amount of terrain open by New Year's. Okemo especially has a reputation for good grooming, which sounds like it might work well since you said you are mostly beginner-to-average skiers.

 

[omararcia]

If you are flying anyways, have you considered going out west? I defend eastern skiing to death and love it. But you are more likely to have good conditions out west, especially at new year's, and there are probably more areas there with convenient lodging, restaurants, and extras all on sight.

I initally considered going west but decided against it because I have heard a lot of good things about eastern skiing and know that flying out west is far more expensive and stressful (too much time on a plane with too many kids). Considering that most of the skiers in my group are either learning or shaking off the cob webs from their skis, it didn't seem to make sense to spend the $$$$ that a vacation out west would run.

 

[kcyanks1]

I initally considered going west but decided against it because I have heard a lot of good things about eastern skiing and know that flying out west is far more expensive and stressful (too much time on a plane with too many kids). Considering that most of the skiers in my group are either learning or shaking off the cob webs from their skis, it didn't seem to make sense to spend the $$$$ that a vacation out west would run.

All of us here can tell you many good things about eastern skiing, but while early season can be great (like this year), you have a much better guarantee of good conditions going out west. If you are going to plan a trip with a large investment that can't be changed, it's the safer way to go. Of course, the skiing isn't the only consideration -- money and dealing with the kids on the plane count as well.

If you aren't totally adverse to the idea of skiing out west, though, unless you feel you've done an exhaustive enough search, I would look more carefully into the price issue. I don't know if they still do it, but Steamboat, for instance, would let kids ski for free with a paid adult.

 

[gladerider]

flying in from S. Florida to NE to ski? i am not sure if you could actually save $ unless there is a huge difference in cost of air fare between NE vs. West. if you add it up NE skiing is not cheap compared to West coast unless of course your idea of West is Vail or Beaver Creek. Air fare often is the biggest price difference for us in NE.

however, if you're set on NE here are some resorts to consider IMHO:
1-Stowe:
Pros: Great mountain. Good ski school. Good choices of restaurants. One of the safest bets on early season conditions. Challenging terrain.
Cons: Could be too challenging for beginners, but they have a separate mountain just for beginners (Spruce Peak). Not cheap.
2-Smuggler's Notch:
personally, i have been there too long ago to remember, but have heard great things especially for small children. if you have tweens and it may not be for you.
3-Whiteface/Lake Placid:
Pros: Big olympic mountain with challenging hills. Great town/village with restaurants. Great ski school.
Cons: Not too many beginner trails. Hit/miss Early season condition.
4-Tremblant:
Pros: Nice terrain that has little bit of everything. Great pedestrian village (you don't need a car once you get there) Excellent ski school. Great restaurants.
Cons: It's in Quebec. Terrain may not be too challenging for expert skiers. Can get real cold even in December. More expensive.
5-Okemo:
Pros: Beginner's mountain. They groom everything. OK ski school. Friendly mountain in general
Cons: Beginner's mountain. They groom everything. Hit/miss Early season condition.
6-Mt. Snow:
Pros: Good terrain for everybody. Good ski school.
Cons: Busy with high traffic. Hit/miss Early season condition.
7-Stratton:
Pros: Relatively good terrain. Decent pedestrian village. Good park/pipe.
Cons: Sub-par ski school. Some staff members are downright rude. Some season pass holders are snobby. Isolated village and dining options. Not cheap.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

flying in from S. Florida to NE to ski? i am not sure if you could actually save $ unless there is a huge difference in cost of air fare between NE vs. West. if you add it up NE skiing is not cheap compared to West coast unless of course your idea of West is Vail or Beaver Creek. Air fare often is the biggest price difference for us in NE.

however, if you're set on NE here are some resorts to consider IMHO:
1-Stowe:
Pros: Great mountain. Good ski school. Good choices of restaurants. One of the safest bets on early season conditions. Challenging terrain.
Cons: Could be too challenging for beginners, but they have a separate mountain just for beginners (Spruce Peak). Not cheap.
2-Smuggler's Notch:
personally, i have been there too long ago to remember, but have heard great things especially for small children. if you have tweens and it may not be for you.
3-Whiteface/Lake Placid:
Pros: Big olympic mountain with challenging hills. Great town/village with restaurants. Great ski school.
Cons: Not too many beginner trails. Hit/miss Early season condition.
4-Tremblant:
Pros: Nice terrain that has little bit of everything. Great pedestrian village (you don't need a car once you get there) Excellent ski school. Great restaurants.
Cons: It's in Quebec. Terrain may not be too challenging for expert skiers. Can get real cold even in December. More expensive.
5-Okemo:
Pros: Beginner's mountain. They groom everything. OK ski school. Friendly mountain in general
Cons: Beginner's mountain. They groom everything. Hit/miss Early season condition.
6-Mt. Snow:
Pros: Good terrain for everybody. Good ski school.
Cons: Busy with high traffic. Hit/miss Early season condition.
7-Stratton:
Pros: Relatively good terrain. Decent pedestrian village. Good park/pipe.
Cons: Sub-par ski school. Some staff members are downright rude. Some season pass holders are snobby. Isolated village and dining options. Not cheap.

What Eastern mountain doesn't have hit or miss early season conditions?

 

[gladerider]

almost none. but, IMHO some seemed to have better luck than others.

based on my experience, further north you go better bet you'd have. but for some reason Mt. Mansfield and Jay seemed to have better luck than Whiteface eventhough they both are up there. i don't know why.
now this year and last have been out of that norm since i've seen more snow at whiteface than say past several years.

 

[RISkier]

I initally considered going west but decided against it because I have heard a lot of good things about eastern skiing and know that flying out west is far more expensive and stressful (too much time on a plane with too many kids). Considering that most of the skiers in my group are either learning or shaking off the cob webs from their skis, it didn't seem to make sense to spend the $$$$ that a vacation out west would run.

I live in the East and love skiing in the East. But I do think the advice to look West at least merits consideration. Snow and conditions are always something of a gamble but you'll have a higher probability of getting good conditions out West. Weather in the East is so fickle and you can get almost anything including lots of rain to extreme cold. We spend a week in Stowe every January. Last year it absolutely poured as we were driving up. It rained so hard at the mountain that water was running through the temporary Spruce Peak base lodge. Conditions were grim. We skied all 6-days we were there and even had a mini powder day one day, but it wasn't ideal. This year conditions were great but you don't know what you're going to get till you get here. And I'm surprised if it would be that much more expensive to go West but perhaps you have a line on cheap flights to the Northeast. One of the areas folks haven't really mentioned but I always do when folks say they are "either learning or shaking off the cob webs from their skis" is Bretton Woods, NH. BW has great learning terrain that is isolated from the main mountain and once you graduate from the learning lift novices can pretty much go all over the mountain. There are green rated trails off almost every lift. And most of the intermediate trails are just right for early intermediates. They also do a very good job with snowmaking and grooming. There are downsides: There's not much to interest advanced skiers looking for challenging terrain. And there's not much of a village in the immediate area. There's the Mount Washington Hotel (very $) and then mostly divey places. With a car you could stay in the North Conway area and drive to BW to ski. Lots of dining, shopping, and activities in the North Conway area. If the weather was such that you didn't want to drive through Crawfords Notch to BW, Black Mountain, Cranmore, Attitash, and Wildcat would be very close. Stowe and Lake Placid (Whiteface Mountain) are great villages and will keep you entertained off the slope. I'm not sure they have the best terrain for your needs. I'd take a look at Mount Snow in Vermont. I've only been there once and I don't really know the set up for beginners but there's a lot of fairly easy intermediate terrain and my impression was that there would be a lot to do in the village. My wife and I left thinking this would be a fun place to come and stay for night or two. And a place I've not been but suspect it would be pretty good If you want something that gives more ski in/ski out convenience is Sunday River in Maine. They have a reputation for really doing a great job with snowmaking and grooming and there's a lot of terrain marked green on the trail map. So I'd at least check it out further.

 

[crank]

I echo what others have said regarding looking into a western trip. However, in the northeast with a group like yours I would choose Mont Tremblant. They have tons of on-mountain lodging and you can usually find a decent deal. Also, the base village is much better than anything in the east. You will not need to drive anywhere all week. The central pool "la Source" is a kid magnet and there is shopping and a spa for those who are so inclined. Skiing: it's a big montain with lots of long beginner and intermediate runs and a few steeps as well. It must sound like I love the place - I don't. But I have been there on some multi-family vacations and it is hands down the best place east of the Rockies for a group of families. Personally I hate getting a large group together and loaded in the cars to go out. I hate even more trying to get everyone going in the AM to get to the hill. Young kids just make it all the more work.

 

[SKIQUATTRO]

I'd vote SMUGGS, this was our 3rd year and we've booked for next year already...awesome terrain, great ski school (my kids dont want to leave at the end of the day) fun zone, indoor pool, hot tub, ice skating, snowshoeing....

the only thing is that time of year is very sketchy in terms of snowfall.....you can easily get burnt.

I'd second Lake Placid as well....just think about going west as well